Weld n'Cut: Automated fabrication of inflatable fabric actuators

TL;DR

This paper presents Weld n'Cut, an open-source automated platform that streamlines the fabrication of textile-based inflatable soft actuators, improving accuracy and reducing labor compared to traditional manual methods.

Contribution

Introduction of Weld n'Cut, a novel automated manufacturing system combining ultrasonic welding and precise cutting for complex inflatable textile actuators.

Findings

Successfully fabricated complex geometries with various materials.

Enhanced fabrication accuracy and reduced manual labor.

Open-source platform enabling wider adoption.

Abstract

Lightweight, durable textile-based inflatable soft actuators are widely used in soft robotics, particularly for wearable robots in rehabilitation and in enhancing human performance in demanding jobs. Fabricating these actuators typically involves multiple steps: heat-sealable fabrics are fused with a heat press, and non-stick masking layers define internal chambers. These layers must be carefully removed post-fabrication, often making the process labor-intensive and prone to errors. To address these challenges and improve the accuracy and performance of inflatable actuators, we introduce the Weld n'Cut platform-an open-source, automated manufacturing process that combines ultrasonic welding for fusing textile layers with an oscillating knife for precise cuts, enabling the creation of complex inflatable structures. We demonstrate the machine's performance across various materials and designs with arbitrarily complex geometries.